


Just A Drink

by Charlie9646



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Drinking, F/F, F/M, Kissing, M/M, Mental Illness, Mental Instability, PTSD, Potion spiked thing, Spiked eggnog, eighth year au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2019-12-08
Packaged: 2021-02-26 20:01:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21724384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charlie9646/pseuds/Charlie9646
Summary: ”Just a drink” isn't always just a drink. More so if some meddling dead headmaster decides to share ideas with a Ravenclaw.Theo is drowning, but doesn't feel the need to share it without anyone. A little know it all disagrees with that.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Ginny Weasley, Theodore Nott/Hermione Granger
Comments: 8
Kudos: 10
Collections: Let the New Year Slither In





	Just A Drink

Hermione smiled at Theo Nott of all people, she said to him, ”It's just a drink, you know, I am not going to poison you. It's New Years Eve after all. That would be such a mean thing to do on such a day, wouldn't it?”

He rolled his eyes at such a comment. The whole reason why he was stuck here was that death eaters still on the loose, they wanted to kill him. Seemed even after the war was over not picking a side, still meant you were a traitor. His father was rotting in Azkaban, for his own crimes, though the old man had not been all that active in the second wizarding war. Not because he did not want to be, but because the man was getting up there in years.

Why was Theo even at this stupid party? Because Draco was trying to hook up with Potter’s girl. Though from the looks of it she was interested in him as well. He rolled his eyes, though remembered after a second, Ginny Weasley was no longer with Potter.

Fuck it Theo thought, he was not going to sit here and mope like the world was falling apart- because the truth is- it wasn't. The light had won the war, the side that should have won. The one that didn't care that he hadn't truly picked a side. The side that his head of house; then for a short time headmaster was on. A Slytherin and of the best of them, Snape was willing to die for it and nearly did.

The man was far from a perfect person, but no one was. Surely not Draco, Ginny, him, Harry Bloody Potter or even the little Miss Know it all herself.Speaking of the know it all, she looked rather drunk on the eggnog she tried to convince him to drink. It seemed a member of the ”perfect” little golden trio had her own demons to deal with. Though he doubted she would admit it, but he was the same.

He watched out of the corner of his eye, Draco kiss the red-haired girl who was the whole reason they came to this stupid party. Pansy and Looney Luna chatted in a corner about Merlin knew what. Blaise had of all people had Potter sitting on his lap. Ron Weasley and Astoria Greengrass were playing chess, and from the looks of it, she was winning.

Seemed everyone else could forget about the war, but Theo himself. He stood up from his seat by the fire, Pansy stuck a Santa hat on his head, she said ”gotta be festive Theo, and cheer up. Be happy, we have every reason to be happy.”

Theo rolled his eyes at her comment. But, when he reached his destination he changed his tune. He said, ”Granger, I will take that drink after all.”

Hermione handed him the glass of eggnog, her brown eyes bright and her wild ringlets nearly covered her left eye. He took a sip of the spiked with more than just fire whiskey eggnog and then felt an urge to push that curl out of Hermione’s face.

Theo thought to himself when did he start to think of her as Hermione? He couldn't help but stare at her bitten pink lips, he took another sip of his drink. He hoped that the thoughts we're just a fluke and he was not going crazy.

Her hand tangled his waves, tugging at them. Merlin, that felt good. She said to him, ”Theo forget about the world outside for once. Take it from someone who understands what you're going through it just isn't worth it.”

Theo nodded, unable to admit that Hermione was right. He reached out his hand to tuck the curl in her face behind her ear. Instead, the witch got up on her toes and kissed him. He knew he should have pushed her away, but instead, he kissed her back. Getting drawn into whatever insanity was affecting the rest of the seventh and eighth-year student body that were of age. 

*********************

Luna smiled an odd smile, everything was working just as she had planned. The potion was helping those who had been through such a hard time to be more open. Pansy seemed calm in a way she had not been in years. Daphne and Neville were cuddled on the couch together, Ginny and Draco had left the party together, Harry seemed happier than he had ever been. Blaise was the reason, she would not be shocked to hear those two had gotten together in the weeks to come.

Ron laughed at some comment Astoria had made. But, the most shocking of them all was Hermione and Theo. He laughed at her joke, and then asked her about her sweater, it said “this is what a feminist looks like”.He had never heard that word it seemed. Hermione happily explained what it meant to her fellow bookworm and wallflower.

They were the two people she had been the most worried about, those who had made her go to Dumbledore asking what could be done. They both seemed so broken, so lonely. They both had lost their parents, in such horrible ways.

Dumbledore’s portrait had been the one to suggest spiking the eggnog with the potion. He said to her everyone, but very much so those who had been involved in the war, needed to turn over a new leaf. The Gryffindor common room had not been this happy since long before the second wizarding war had really kicked up.

She heard Professor Snape say in his now thin soft voice, “What in the world is going on here?”

Remus Lupin who was now a professor again said, “they are all of age, Severus, we did far worse when we were in school.”

Severus said, ”you may have done worse, but I certainly did not.”

Remus said, ”You seem to have forgotten I was prefect, Severus, I remember catching you and Lily getting rather drunk one evening when we were about fifteen give or take.”

Severus said, ”I think we remember things quite differently, Lupin.”

Remus took a glass of eggnog and said to the other man, ”Severus you of all people need to relax, have a drink.”

Snape hissed, “that stuff is disgusting without rot gut fire whiskey, I am quite good.”

Luna thought herself her next goal was to help Severus. Luna tended to be good at figuring out exactly what she needed to do, she was a Ravenclaw, after all.

**********************

Theo sat on Hermione Granger’s bed. He didn't even know why he was here. Yeah, he wanted to kiss her, but he did not think they should sleep together while they were plastered on only Merlin knew what.

She reached for his hand, and he let her hold it. It was far smaller than his own, but warm and comforting. He hadn't felt something like that since what felt like forever.

Hermione said to him, ”The world isn't going to end if you let someone in, Theo. The war is over and now we have to go on living.”

He said to her, ”Of course you would say something like that.”

She said, ”What, do you even mean by that?”

Theo started to feel more and more like himself again, the walls that protected his mind closing back down. He said to her, ”Granger, please stop pretending as if you understand a damn thing about me.”

Hermione said, ”So, it's back to Granger now is it? You don't know anything about me, Nott. WhatI have been through or what I do or do not understand.

Now do me a bloody favor and get the hell out of here. I may or may not be here when you decide that you want to act like a normal person and let someone in. But, I am going back out there to enjoy the party. If you don't watch yourself you might end up like a person you might not like when you look in the mirror. You might end up like Snape or worse.”

He snarled, ”How dare you say such a thing?”

Hermione did not answer; she was still clearly quite drunk. 

She left the room, he took off back to his own dorm room allowing the Gryffindor’s words to sink in, maybe the know it all girl had a point, but he wasn't going to go back like a dog with its tail between its legs tonight. He wait would until tomorrow, after all, they were both stuck at Hogwarts until the summer break. Nonetheless, he did want to see whatever it is that they had started this New Year would take them.


End file.
